Dream Guard
by Amelda Marcos
Summary: Azkadellia had trouble sleeping and seeks out Jeb.
1. She comes to him

Authors Note/Disclaimer: Tin man does not belong to me. I'm thinking about making this a two part but let me know what you think.

Jeb woke up with a start and immediately reached for the dagger lying under his pillow. He heard it again, a quiet tapping on his bedroom door. He climbed out of his bead cautiously and walked silently to the door. Opening it slowly, with the dagger behind his back, he saw a scared looking princess and her personal guard Lillian in the hall.

"Princess, come in."

As the princess shuffled into his room, followed by Lillian, he replaced the dagger under his pillow. He turned around to look Azkadellia, excepting her to say why she had come. As he waited, Jeb looked her over. Her face looked drawn and pale, there were definite circles under her eyes. She was wearing a nightgown with a robe pulled over it. It was obvious that her decision to come to his room had been a fast one. It was the most unkempt he'd seen her, and despite the fear still lingering in her eyes, no doubt from another nightmare, the most beautiful.

Finally she said, "I, I hope I didn't wake you up Jeb."

He gave her a smile, meaning to tease her a bit, "Of course not Princess, I usually am awake at 3 in the morning waiting up in case you should need me."

Immediately he regretted this answer as Az's mouth turned down in a frown. "Oh, I'm sorry for bothering you, I'll just go." She turned around and started to leave.

Jeb took a step forward and lightly grabbed her arm, "Princess, Az, I'm sorry. There must be a reason you came here, tell me what it is. I am already awake after all."

He watched as she bit her lip, "Well, I had a nightmare again. And sometimes I go to Deeg afterwards." Then she hesitated, as if unsure whether she should go on.

"But," Jeb prompted her.

"But," Az continued, taking a deep breath, "DG has been unavailable the past few times," she gave him a small smile, "and I just thought maybe you'd be awake with guard duty or something and that I could talk to you for a little bit." She finished in a rush and bit her lip again. "That was silly of me, I see that now. I'll just go and let you get back to sleep."

Jeb moved his hand to her shoulder, gently guided her over to the one chair in his tiny room and sat her down. "I'm already awake Az and I don't have to be anywhere for awhile yet. You can tell me about your nightmares anytime. The offer is always open. But," he said seeing from her body language that she wasn't about to share them with him that night, "how about I tell you a story instead." And Jeb began to tell Azkadellia about the time his friend Skipper had woken the whole resistance camp up with screaming when he had a nightmare that his mother had run off with Zero.

As Jeb finished up by demonstrating how they proceeded to chase Skipper through camp, Az was laughing harder than he had seen her laugh ever before. No one would have thought this woman had early that night needed to seek distraction from her persistent nightmares. Jeb decided he liked her laugh, and especially liked that he had been the one to make her laugh that way and wanted to make her laugh like that some more.

After her laughter had died down he jumped into another funny story, regaling her with tales of his time in camp. On finishing his fourth story, Jeb noticed that the princess was beginning to look drowsy, her head balanced on her arms, which were hooked over the top of the chair.

"You're looking mighty tired princess, would you like us to escort you back to your rooms so you can get some sleep?" Jeb asked.

Immediately Az jumped back to wakefulness and some of her early fear seemed to return. "No, I'm not tired," she fibbed. "Tell me more about your time in the resistance camps."

So Jeb began again but this time began to describe what life was like living in the resistance camps. He purposefully steered clear of any encounters he'd had with Longcoats, not wanting to disturb the peace that Az had found there in his room. Jeb began to get lost in his own stories and reminiscences, missing the moment when Azkadellia's eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

Jeb probably would have gone on talking if Liz hadn't cleared her throat and said, "Captain, she's asleep now." She gave him a look conveying relief that her charge was finally resting and amusement at the truth I'd stretched. "Guess you won't be getting anymore rest before the early morning rounds your father assigned you.

He grinned sheepishly, "Guess not. I'd better head out soon. We can let her rest for a little while longer."

After successfully delivering the princess and guard back to her room, Jeb started on his rounds. An hour in Jeb sensed someone following him. He spun around, hand resting on his gun to find his dad giving him an unsatisfied look.

"Jeb, you've got to be more vigilant than this. I was behind you for maybe two minutes before you noticed me. You, or anyone you'd been protecting, could have been dead in that two minutes, ," he added grimly.

"Come on dad, you can sneak up on any one. Give me a break this one time."

"You've got to be aware at all times. From those yawns you've been making, which are loud enough to let anyone else in the gardens know your exact position, I'm guessing you didn't get enough sleep last night. You know how I feel about those late night card games the boys play. I need every one of you at your best each day to protect the royal family." Wyatt Cain chastised his son.

Jeb began to get annoyed. He knew how important it was to be well rested and how you never know when the next attack would come, he'd told his own men that many a time during the dark years. He just didn't like being scolded by his father when he'd done nothing wrong.

"Protection comes in many forms dad! You should know that best of all. Anyway, she wouldn't have come to me if her sister hadn't been off doing mysterious things while you guarded her. There are two princesses dad and while you are so busy focusing on the one you knew first, someone has to take care of the other, more vulnerable princess. And just remember, she sometimes needs protection from her own mind. If my princess needs me, then I'm there for her."

"She's your princess, is she," Wyatt Cain smirked at him. "Maybe I should tell Ahamo that we need to set up a guard to keep watch on you."

Jeb glared at his father. "Very funny dad."

"Well son, you have my permission to guard this princess of yours in any proper way you see fit. Mind you keep it proper and decent." Wyatt began smirking again. "Next time just make sure you're also prepared to complete your regular guard duty without yawning every five minutes."


	2. A routine starts

Jeb took his father's scolding to heart. That night he went to bed a few hours earlier than usual. The other guards had tried to rope him into a game of cards but Jeb protested that he was too tired and had to get up early for his shift the next morning. Since he'd been yawning all day they accepted his explanation without too much argument. As he got ready for bed he also tried telling himself that it was because he was so tired from the night before. But when he found himself having difficulty actually falling asleep, something that hadn't happened since he'd first joined the resistance, he had to admit the real reason for going to bed so early. He was hoping Az would visit him again and wanted to be well rested enough before she arrived so that he'd be able to stay up and talk to her again and not have to worry during the day that he wasn't fulfilling his normal guard duty.

Jeb slowly woke up. He stayed quiet, listening for any sounds that may have awoken him but there were none. It seemed the whole castle was asleep. He turned to his clock, 3:30, and frowned. Last night the princess had woken him up around 3. Maybe, he thought, she wasn't coming this night. Maybe DG had been in her room or maybe she hadn't enjoyed listening to his stories as much as he'd enjoyed telling them to her. He lay in his bed trying to decide if he'd done something wrong, offended her in any way. It was while he lay contemplating this, getting increasingly worried that he had done something to offend her, that he heard the quietest of knocks, certainly not loud enough to have woken him. He jumped out of bed immediately and went to the door.

As he opened the door he saw the princess looking hopeful but nervous and Liz was giving him a look like she knew that he'd been lying in bed waiting for them and found it very amusing.

"Hello again Princess," Jeb said as he ushered the two women into his room. "You'll have to knock louder than that if you ever wish to wake a person up."

"Oh, so you were awake?" Asked Azkadellia, looking considerably happier, "I was so worried that I might wake you up again." She paused, "I noticed how tired you were when you were standing guard at dinner tonight. I didn't want to interrupt your sleep."

Jeb smiled, so this was perhaps the reason it had taken her so long to come. "Princess, I am yours to command. It is my duty to fulfill whatever role you would have me do. Not," he added hurriedly, "that I wouldn't also do things for you as your friend."

Az looked at him in wonderment from the chair she once again occupied. "So am I your friend?"

"Yes, if you will have me. Is that such a strange concept?" Jeb asked, a little worried she might say that being friends with a guard was not something she'd ever considered and definitely not what she wanted.

"No, maybe, yes," she said and smiled, "I would so much like to have you as my friend. It just seems strange that you would be willing to so easily be friends with me after all the mischief that the witch has caused using my body. I thought that would be hard for many people, you especially, to get over. It is hard for me to remember sometimes that I didn't do any of the horrible things, I was just a witness."

"I think it is hard for everybody Princess but I have seen how you act and you are nothing like the witch. So it is easy for me to think of the person during the dark times as a different person, because it was. Same body but different soul."

Az looked at him slightly teary eyed and for a moment he was afraid she would start crying. He wasn't sure what he'd do if that happened. But she brushed away the tears and gave him a blinding smile. "Then, Jeb the guard, you must call me Azkadellia or Az if we are friends. You did last night. And," she held up a finger as he started to protest, "if you do not I will call you Guard. From my little experience I do not think that friends call each other Princess and Guard. And I like saying Jeb much more."

He chuckled, "All right, you've won this time Prin… I mean Azkadellia." Her name tumbled out of his mouth strangely. He'd used it often during the resistance when cursing the evil witch Azkadellia but it seemed to have taken on a different feeling now. He hadn't said her full name out loud since the passing of the witch and hadn't realized until now how much he'd wanted to say it out loud in reference to her, the true Princess. Her name now seemed musical and innocent. He didn't know if he was brave enough to use her full name again. It gave him a greater feeling of intimacy with her than he felt was proper between a guard and a princess.

He also liked the way that she said his name. He'd always found it somewhat flat but when she said it, it sounded more like the name of an honorable man. A name he wanted to live up to.

"I told you my life story yesterday. It's your turn now Az. Tell me about your good memories, about learning magic." Jeb requested.

Az frowned at him, "I don't think you'll find my stories very interesting. And I'm sure you haven't told me all there is to know about you."

"I don't know Az. I'm a pretty plain, ordinary guy." Jeb responded grinning.

Az snorted at that. "I don't believe you. You'll have to prove it to me by telling me more stories about your ordinary life."

"Tell you what Az, if you tell me a little bit about your childhood then I'll tell you some more about my boring life. Deal?" he asked with a grin.

"Deal," Az replied. "You asked about magic?"

"Magic, being a big sister, anything good. Tell me about things that made you happy." Jeb had decided that the princess needed more happiness in her life. She also needed to remember that there had been a time before the witch, a time when she'd been an innocent child and had fun doing innocent things. By having her talk about them, Jeb hoped to get Az to focus less on the large part of her past that was dominated by the witch. He wanted her to be able to focus on the happier past and start creating a happy future.

"Well," Az said thoughtfully, "I remember the first time I met Tutor. He was in his dog form and I thought he was the cutest thing in the world. I was so excited because I thought my parents had gotten me a puppy. When he turned back into his human shape and my parents told me he was going to be my magic instructor I was so disappointed. I burst into tears and they were so confused since I had been asking them for magic lessons for the past year. I think it was Tutor who finally convinced me that I had gotten a good deal. He told me that not only would I get magic lessons but I would get to play with him in his dog form as part of my lessons." She chuckled. "I thought it was a brilliant plan until I got a little older and realized I was being selfish making Tutor act like a dog all the time. But he never complained." Azkadellia's face darkened and she sighed. "Then the witch locked him in the dungeons. Poor Tutor, he had always been so good to me. "

Before Azkadellia let her thoughts wander into deeper, darker places Jeb interrupted her. "You were going along so well with that story." He gave her an encouraging smile. "Tell me another good memory and this time I don't want to hear anything about what the witch did. I'm not interested in her experiences, just yours."

Azkadellia grabbed Jeb's hand and held it. "Thank you Jeb. Thank you for reminding me that I am me and that is not the witch. Deep down I know it, but it helps to hear it out loud."

Jeb gave her hand a squeeze and thought he saw Az starting to blush. Suddenly he felt nervous. "I, I'll do anything to help. Just let me know whenever you need something, anything." He released her hand, knowing that if he held on much longer he'd completely loose all coherent thought and start jabbering like an idiot, trying to be her knight in shining armor.

The two talked a while longer. Az told a few more stories from her childhood, making him laugh quite a few times. Then he kept his side of the deal and told her a few more stories about his time as a resistance fighter. He found it strange, but was relieved, that she did not feel guilty about the witch being the reason resistance fighters.

As it got close to the time when Jeb needed to report for guard duty he offered to walk Az back to her chambers. "It's time for me to deliver the sleeping beauty princess back to her bed," he told her with a smile. She blushed again. Jeb felt that he could get used to the princess blushing at him. "Are you ready, your Highness?"

She chuckled and whacked his arm. "I'm not a 'your Highness' yet and hopefully won't be one for a long time. But yes, I am ready. Please walk me back for I am sure my guard and I would get lost on our own," she teased.

He grinned at her. "It is always good to have a strong man walking you about. You never know when a dragon will decide to take up residence in one of the corridors." This got a laugh out of Az, just what Jeb had been hoping for. They continued teasing each other on the way back to Azkadellia's rooms.

Upon arrival, Jeb had one last comment for her. "Next time, Princess Az, don't hesitate coming over to my side of the castle and waking me up. It's much more interesting to spend the early hours in your company than alone with myself." With that, Jeb winked at her and pulled her door shut.

What was going on with him? He'd only spent two nights talking to the princess and was already acting like a love-sick fool. He definitely was a fool if he tried to convince himself that he hadn't thought the princess was a beauty from the first moment he saw her after she'd gotten out of the harsh witch garb. Heck, many a resistance fighter had commented favorably on her looks, but in lecherous ways he preferred not to think about now, while she was still inhabited by the witch. He'd also been harboring a small crush on the princess from around the time of that first sighting as well. He needed to remember his father's advice. He needed to keep this proper. He didn't want Azkadellia's reputation to be tarnished by him both for her sake and because he liked having these secret meetings with her and didn't want them to be forced to an end due to rumors. No, he wanted to keep seeing the princess on these intimate terms. He wanted her to see him as a confidant and friend and perhaps, after time, something more. Much more.


	3. He goes to her

They had set up a routine. It consisted of Az coming to Jeb's room almost every night. He'd started going to sleep early so that he'd be well enough rested to talk to her until his guard duties started. They'd talk about her early childhood and things that had bothered her during the day. He would then share stories from his past. Sometimes their discussions were of a more serious nature and others it was complete laughter and fun.

Every once in a while Az wouldn't come by but she never missed two nights in a row. Never, until now that was. He was beginning to get worried. It was possible that her nightmares were getting fewer and far between. While Jeb hoped this was the case he didn't think it was in this circumstance. When he'd seen Az during his dinner guard duty she had looked particularly tired. Lately her family had been commenting on how well rested she was looking, and she'd share a conspiratorial look with Jeb. But that night at dinner the queen had mentioned with concern that Az was looking more tired than she had in weeks. Az had given her mother a weak smile but didn't look at Jeb at all. He'd been worried enough by that and now that she wasn't showing up he was even more worried.

Jeb looked at his clock again, 4:15. The latest she'd ever come was the second time she'd visited him. Since then Az had been coming around 3. That's it. He'd waited long enough. He'd just go and walk past her room. He could ask Liz what Az's absence was about.

After making sure that he was dressed appropriately so he could go directly to his rounds, Jeb left his room. It was so quiet in the halls. Jeb felt like a thief stealing through the palace. He knew his way to the Princess's suite better than most of the guards. He was probably the only guard who made it a point to pass by her suite at least once a day. Each time he surveyed the area, checking for possible security issues. He had to admit, even for him, his obsession with protecting the princess had gone beyond the normal levels of a guard.

In the past few weeks of meeting with Az his self-named crush had been developing into something past the 'young man admiring a pretty girl' phase and into something much more intense. He felt overly protective of Az. The rational side of his brain told him that all the guards in the palace were charges with guarding all the royal family but the love-addled fool part insisted that only he, and perhaps his father, were capable of protecting Princess Azkadellia. And only he was able to protect her from the dark thoughts that still plagued her.

While ruminating over these thoughts, Jeb found himself nearing Az's suite. As he was about to turn around the corner to her hall he heard a familiar, yet out of place, step and brought himself to a halt, his heart beating at a mile a minute. When the echos of the steps started receding he looked around the corner and breathed a sigh of relief as he drew back his head.

No wonder Az hadn't come to visit him. Her regular guard Liz had been replaced with another guard, Jones. Jones was an older man who firmly believed in the rules and was not the type to stretch them, even for a princess. Had Azkadellia even brought up her want to meet with Jeb, which he was sure was a secret she wasn't willing to share, he doubted that Jones would have been willing to bend the rules.

Now that he understood why Az wasn't coming to him he got even more worried. He was sure from how she'd looked earlier that her nightmares had come last night and he doubted that they'd given her a reprieve this night. He needed to get to her, he could only try and imagine how she might feel stuck alone with no one to talk to. He had to go to her.

Jeb saw the irony of the situation. He'd gone over every inch of this hall making sure that no one could get into her room without being seen and here he was planning on breaking in himself. Jeb bent down and removed his shoes so he could walk without a sound. When he heard Jones' step turned away from him, Jeb came around the corner and followed a few steps behind Jones. After Jones passed the princess' door Jeb waited a few seconds before slowly turning the handle, opening the door just enough to slip in and quickly, but quietly, closing it again.

After placing his shoes on the floor by the door Jeb looked around. This was the first time he'd been in the princess's suite. After his eyes adjusted to the dark he found himself in a sitting room. Looking around he saw two doors. He headed to the one with a sliver of light shining under the door.

Just as he was about to enter the room he realized how this might seem if anyone came in on him, or possibly even to Az. Here he was, just a guard who had practically broken into the room of the princess he'd sworn to protect. And maybe he was wrong. Maybe Az didn't need him, didn't want him to come to her in her own rooms. Maybe he was just some silly guard she came and talked to for some light entertainment, because he was more interesting than a book in the middle of the night.

Jeb began to turn around, having convinced himself that he wasn't wanted. But then a sound stopped him. Someone was sniffling behind that door. He listened a second longer, long enough to hear the sniffle turn into crying which sounded like it wouldn't take much for the crying to escalate into sobs.

He didn't even stop to knock at the door. Jeb whipped around and burst in. It so startled Az that she stopped crying and turned to look at the door, clutching her blanket to chest. She was sitting in her bed with tears flowing down her cheeks. In a few steps Jeb was at the side of her bed and then he had no idea what to do.

"Az."

That was enough to bring Az out of her startled state and tears began coursing down her cheeks again.

That, in turn, prompted Jeb to act. He sat down on the edge of her bed and held his arms out to her, wanting to hold her and comfort her but not if she was unwilling.

Az immediately threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around him and began to sob into his shirt.

Jeb folded his arms around her and pulled her close. "Az, Azkadellia. What's wrong? Tell me about it."

She continued to cry for a little while then brought her head up to look at him. "I couldn't come last night to see you. I couldn't get away from Jones. And then tonight I had another nightmare. I haven't been getting them lately but tonight I had one." Az tightened her grip on him. "In it, the witch, she found you and then…then she made me torture you. It was horrible," and Az began to sob again.

"Shhh, shhh. It's all right. I'm all right." Jeb tried to console her. "The witch is gone. She can't hurt you or me anymore."

"I know," cried Az. "I know but it seemed so real."

Jeb pushed her away from him so he could look her in the eyes. "Azkadellia, does this seem real to you?" She nodded. "Good. This is what is real. I'm here with you now. And I will stay with you until you are ready for me to leave. Okay?" She nodded again and he pulled her back into his chest.

Jeb had a sudden memory of a time when he'd scrapped his knee and had started crying. His mother had held him like this and had rubbed his back. Figuring it would help, he started rubbing small circles on Az's back. She gave a small sigh and, if possible, melted more into his embrace

As he held Az, Jeb couldn't help but feel content. He knew that he shouldn't be feeling this way. He was not supposed to be here, should most certainly not be holding the princess of the realm and most definitely should not be feeling content when the women he loved was in tears. Yes, he did love her and just holding her in his arms filled him with a sense of happiness he hadn't felt before. Imagine how much better it would have been had Az not been unhappy.

When Jeb began to feel Az's breathing slow he started to pull away but that woke her up. "Jeb, what are you doing?" She asked groggily.

"You've got to sleep Az, you must be exhausted."

"But you said you wouldn't leave me." The worry and fear were easy to see on her face.

"I'm not leaving. I'm just going to sit on the chair next to your bed. I'll be right there until you wake," Jeb tried to explain.

"I don't need you there!" Az cried. "I need you here! I need you next to me. Please Jeb. I need you to hold me." She looked up at him with her tearful face. "Please."

"Az, Princess, I can't. I've gotten too close to you in these past weeks. Much closer than a guard should be to the princess he guards."

"But we're friends. You said we were friends. And there aren't boundaries on how close friends can get," she argued with him frantically.

She had almost broken him. He threw out his last reason. "Az. If I cross that boundary then I won't be able to stop myself from wanting and trying to be more than your friend. If I cross it, I'm going to want to be your lover."

Az looked at him, her eyes looking deep into his. "Then cross it, be my lover. You are the only one who has been able to drive my nightmares away. I haven't had a nightmare until tonight for a few weeks. Instead I've been dreaming about you. I come to you not because I'm still scared but because I can't stay away."

With every word she'd said Jeb could feel his heart beating faster. She wanted him too. "I love you princess. In a way I don't think I will every get over. If you let me continue to love you I don't think I'll ever get rid of me. Are you sure you want me?"

"Kiss me," was her reply.

And he did.

* * *

><p>That week the routine changed. Each night Jeb would sneak past Jones and into the princess' rooms. Then he would enter her bedroom and climb into bed with her, wrapping his strong arms around her small frame. They would then fall asleep together and sleep blissfully until Jeb needed to leave for guard duty.<p>

At the end of the week she said, "Liz is coming back tomorrow."

"Good. Jones isn't doing a good job of protecting you. I have it on good authority that every night for the past week some mystery man sneaks into your room." He said cheekily.

Az laughed, "A handsome mystery man." Sighing, "I don't think Liz will be happy with our new arrangement. What are we going to do?"

"Well," said Jeb, suddenly nervous. He'd been thinking about this out all day. "I think there are two options. One, DG and my dad have been getting away with a secret relationship for a while. I think we can do it too. Or, option two, which I prefer…" He paused and saw Az watching him expectantly. "Az, I love you. I want everyone to know it. I'd like to start courting you publicly. I," before he could finish Az had pounced on him and was giving him a huge hug.

"Yes! I don't want to sneak around. I want to show everybody how happy you make me. Let's go tell mum and dad now."

Jeb laughed, "Not now sweetheart. They'll want to know why we're together in the middle of the night. I don't think we should drop that on them now. Let's wait till tomorrow."

It seemed that she had stopped listening to him. "Sweetheart?" Az asked.

Jeb found himself nervous, "Well if you don't like it I don't have to" and again Az cut him off. This time however it was with a kiss. He felt her lips crash down on his and then his mind exploded. This was what he'd been fighting for all those years to protect, this was love.


End file.
